The Passing
by Kiersa
Summary: How will Ichigo and Renji cope when they realise that the other is the only key to the past? One Shot; Abridged - This one only a bit of lime. RenjixIchigo


**The Passing**

Okay, not real sure about this. I wanted to write a one shot about Renji and Ichigo. I just had this urge to do it. It actually took me longer than expected, because I hit quite a few walls with it.  
Quick thing to know before reading: It's not really set specifically at anytime. Just something that came out of my head.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach, nor any of the characters in the following story. But I assume I own this storyline. I don't see anyone else trademarking this exact plot.  
**Warning:** Hold your hands over the kiddies ears, because there's some pretty extreme swearing at the start. And then, if you do not enjoy homosexual relationships, hold your hands over their eyes for the rest of it. Actually, if you don't enjoy homosexual relationships, what are you doing here in the first place? Because here is not the place for you.

* * *

Ichigo looked at Renji in shock. The redhead was looking back at him, an equally shocked look on his face.

"You're lying," Ichigo accused, shooting daggers back at Byakuya.

"Why would I lie about something like this, Kurosaki?"

Renji was so angry he could not even speak. He just stood in front of his Captain, alongside Ichigo, clenching and unclenching his fists. This never would have happened if Byakuya had been taking proper care.

"I have no idea! But there's no way that it can be true!" Ichigo cried out.

"If I was going to stoop so low as to play a joke on you like this, I wouldn't have involved my Lieutenant with it as well," Byakuya pointed out, his calm features starting to get on Ichigo's nerves.

But it was Renji who yelled, not Ichigo, as Byakuya had been expecting.

"Fuck you! You're a bastard, you know that? You don't give a shit about anyone besides yourself and your stupid fucking honour! Because of you, Rukia is dead! And you only sit there with a straight face, like you're telling us what we're going to have for dinner, or some shit like that. You're a fucking cunt, and you can go to fucking hell for all I care!"

A cold look came over Byakuya's face, and he stood up. Ichigo felt his anger subside as the noble spiked his spiritual pressure to uncomfortable proportions, but Renji stood his ground, staring his Captain down. "Watch what you say, Lieutenant," Byakuya said quietly, a deadly edge to his voice.

"No! I've had enough holding my tongue around you. I only did it for Rukia's sake, but there's no point now! Because you fucking killed her!"

If either of the two men standing on the other side of the desk had of been concentrating on him, they might have seen the movement as the Captain flash stepped in front of Renji. But as they had not been concentrating it was a shock for the both of them when Byakuya suddenly appeared, holding Renji off the ground by his collar and slamming him into the opposite wall.

"Watch your mouth, scum!" Byakuya said loudly (Byakuya Kuchiki does not yell). "Remember who you are talking to here. You are not only speaking to your Captain, but you are also speaking to a noble. A very powerful noble who does not tolerate such disrespect and insolence. So when I tell you to watch what you say, you better watch what you say."

"Fuck you, I am not taking your shit anymore! You were supposed to protect her, that's why I let her go with you. But you failed. I would have done a better fucking job!"

_SMACK!_

Renji only grinned as his mouth began to take on the metallic taste of blood, and a large red handprint began to show on his cheek. Byakuya had slapped him, and hard, but the fool continued to smile down at him like he was enjoying this.

"Do you want more?" he asked dangerously.

"Bring it on," Renji replied, running his tongue over his teeth that had started collecting blood, like he was savouring the taste of the blood.

Byakuya looked at him for a moment before releasing his collar and allowing him to drop to the floor. "You're not worthy of my time, 78th district scum," he hissed, turning his back.

"Cunt!" Renji roared, pulling back his hand to throw a punch at the man who was turning back around, surprised at having being called such a thing. But his arm was stopped.

"Ichigo!? What the fuck are you doing? I'm going to beat that bastard into a bloody pulp, and I'm going to have the satisfaction of doing it with my hands!"

Ichigo had seen the punch coming. He was very much like Renji, and he would have done a very similar thing, so he knew when to stop it. But Byakuya was right; he not only was a Captain, but he was a noble, and you don't want to mess with either of those people, let alone someone who is both. Ichigo had used his own flash step to get behind Renji and grab his arm just as he was pulling it back.

Byakuya was now showing emotion for the first time in a very long time. But it was anger. And there was a lot of it coming off the man, in waves almost. He walked back over to Renji, drew back his own fist, and landed it heavily on the side of Renji's face, where he had just been slapped. The redhead struggled hard to free himself from Ichigo's grasp so he could throw his own punches, but Ichigo held fast.

"Never, ever, disrespect me like that again. Next time you do, it will be your job that suffers, and you'll be back out on the streets. And I'm pretty certain that some of the street vendors remember what a little brat you were as a child, and will not go easy on you."

And with that last threat, the black headed noble spun around and sat back behind his desk. "That is all. Leave, now," he ordered.

"Fucking hell, Renji, what was that? You were going to beat him into a pulp?" Ichigo yelled angrily at the older man as they walked out of the 6th Division offices.

Renji just stopped walking, looking sadly at Ichigo. "But you know it's true. If he hadn't been worrying so much about himself, he could have been looking out for Rukia properly. But because of his _inaction_ she died. It's that simple, Ichigo."

The boy looked back at the tattooed redhead, sadness now clouding his face. "Yeah, of course. But you weren't the only one loved and cared for Rukia, Renji."

"You're not seriously telling me that he loved and cared for her?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No. I'm telling you that I did. I'm letting you know that I'm just as angry as you are. But there's no point hitting your superior and risking your job. And it's not what Rukia would have wanted," he finished softly.

The anger on Renji's face slid away, leaving only the sadness. "She was the only family I had left," he said quietly. He could feel tears coming, but damn it if he was going to let Ichigo see that.

"Come on, let's get some ice on that face, it's already starting to swell," was all that Ichigo replied.

Back in Renji's apartment, Renji sat on the kitchen bench, pressing ice wrapped in a tea towel against his face as Ichigo rummaged through the cupboards and fridge for food. Finding none, he sighed, and looked over at the redhead sulking on the counter.

"Let me see," he said, trying to take away the makeshift ice pack. "Ooh, there's a bruise coming out already."

Renji took a sharp intake of air as Ichigo placed it too hard back onto his face. "Oh, sorry," he replied.

"You said you loved her," Renji said. It wasn't a question, just a statement.

"Yeah, well, she's so in your face it's hard to not get attached," Ichigo replied nonchalantly, dabbing the ice pack against Renji's face now, trying to ignore the tears that were welling in the red eyes in front of him.

"Yeah, I know. Makes you wonder how Kuchiki could stay so cold towards her."

"He's just a cold man. Geez, I've worked that out already Renji, what's taking you so long?" Ichigo teased.

"What did you love so much about her?" Renji persisted.

Ichigo groaned and rolled his eyes. "Man, I dunno. Just the way she always acted like she knew what was best, even if it wasn't what she wanted. How she always seemed happy to see me, just before she got mad at me for something. Her stupid drawings, making even the most serious subjects seem trivial..."

Ichigo continued rattling things off, Renji chiming in occasionally, and both men laughing as they remembered things about the small girl.

As they begin to run out of things to say, and a sad silence began to fall between them, Renji raised his right arm and reached around Ichigo's neck, his hand fitting the back of Ichigo's orange head nicely into it, and brought his forehead down against Ichigo's. "I miss her already," he whispered.

"Yeah." Ichigo could only agree, and stare into the obviously upset eyes right in front of him. Then something changed in them; they focused in on Ichigo, and as Renji raised his other hand to the back of the orange head, he inclined his head forward and placed his lips against Ichigo's, applying pressure to actually make the simple touching of lips into a kiss.

But, to Ichigo's surprise, he found himself raising his other hand and holding the other side of Renji's tattooed face, and kissing him back.

It was a soft kiss, a sweet kiss. But Renji soon felt a desperate hunger inside him; Ichigo was really the only connection he had left with Rukia (it was certainly clear now that Byakuya Kuchiki was never going to be such a connection), he was sure he had loved her just as much as Renji had. And in his confused mind, the only way to love Rukia one last time was to share it with this man.

So he deepened the kiss. His tongue began to probe for entrance to Ichigo's mouth, and as he was allowed entry, Renji opened his legs wider and pulled the smaller boy towards him, wrapping his legs around Ichigo's hips and locking him in place.

Ichigo felt himself pulled towards the man perched on the bench, and as he felt Renji's leg wrap around him, a red flag of panic went up in his head.

His first kiss, with a man; a man who he usually felt intense dislike towards, no less!

Ichigo lowered his hands and pushed fiercely against Renji's broad chest, trying to propel him away from the redhead. "What are you doing?!" Ichigo cried, anger caressing his features and causing a sharp edge to his tone. "I don't know about you, but I am _not_ gay!"

But Renji remained calm. "This is not about sexuality, this about needs, Ichigo. I know you feel it too," he replied quietly.

"But... but..." Ichigo could only splutter as he still tried to push off against Renji's chest, but the other man's legs held fast behind him. "But I didn't think you were gay!" he stupidly managed.

Renji shrugged, "Soul Reapers, we don't really care. Of course we have our preferences, but we take what we get. I do prefer the ladies, but trust me, taking a dick up the arse isn't as bad as it sounds."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he dropped the towel containing the ice, hearing the ice clatter off the bench and onto the ground. "What?" he could only ask.

"But I told you, this isn't about want. This is about need. It will help the pain," he replied softly, running his rough hand over the side of Ichigo's face. The orange headed boy shuddered into the caress before slamming his fists against Renji's chest in an attempt to get away.

"All right, Soul Reapers might not care, but I'm still considered human. And my preference is definitely female, and my first time was definitely going to be heterosexual!" When he realised what he just admitted, his virginity, Ichigo slammed his mouth shut and tried to pull back even further.

"Really?" Renji smirked. He wrapped his arms around Ichigo's waist and jumped to the ground. "Don't worry, I once heard someone say gay sexual encounters don't actually count," he murmured against into Ichigo's ear, the warm breath passing over Ichigo's skin making his skin break out in excited goose bumps. He had never looked at Renji in a sexual way (hell, he had never looked at _any_ man in a sexual way), but right now Ichigo was finding it hard to resist the fiery red head. Maybe he was right; maybe they just did need to do this, for both their sakes.

So when Renji placed his lips back onto Ichigo's, Ichigo leant into the kiss, his arms curling around Renji's shoulders and pulling him harder towards him. Their tongues clashed as their breathing increased, and Ichigo was beginning to feel the 'need' that Renji had been talking about. He felt as if he strangely couldn't get enough of the man that was currently pressed again him, and his kisses started taking on the desperate qualities that Renji's had before.

Renji walked him backwards, until Ichigo felt the cool hard surface of the fridge upon his back, and heard the assorted jars on the inside rattle with the force of the collision. Had there been anything stuck to the outside of the fridge with magnets, they would have been jolted loose.

Renji's hand began to travel down Ichigo's sides, making his skin tingle. Uncertainty flooded his brain again, though, when he felt Renji pressing his thigh against his groin, rubbing it through his Soul Reaper uniform, but Ichigo groaned into Renji's mouth despite himself. The uncertainty did not linger long as Renji continued the simple pressure, making Ichigo feel weak at the knees.

A smile spread over the redhead's lips when he felt something hardening slightly at his thigh, and he pushed harder, determined to hear the boy moan helplessly in his throat against Renji's mouth. Renji uttered his own moan as Ichigo began to press down harder against the intruding leg, his hands roaming along Renji's waist, and causing Renji's cock to twitch.

Breaking away, but leg still rubbing at the others crotch, Renji leaned back and looked at Ichigo hungrily, amused by the pained but delighted face before him. "What do you say we take this somewhere more comfortable?" he suggested seductively, starting to move his hips against the boy, and causing him to visually swoon.

Ichigo could only nod as the gyrations become painfully pleasant, and Renji returned his lips to their previous place, walking Ichigo backwards again through his apartment, towards his bedroom. Once in the room, Renji threw Ichigo roughly onto the bed.

"Hey!" came the outraged reply of the boy sprawling on the bed.

Renji smiled playfully as he began to take off his uniform. "With guys, it's gotta be rough. We're both men, we can take it," he whispered, crawling sensually over the bed, his red boxers, which matched his hair, were the only thing remaining on his body.

**

When Ichigo woke, he found himself to be completely naked, lying in a bed next to a completely naked Renji. The other man was sprawled out on his stomach, taking up a large area of the bed, and Ichigo was extremely grateful for the other facing down, and the queen bed they were occupying.

The initial feeling of being grateful was short lived, however. As Ichigo remembered Renji's words from last night, just before they had... had... done it, he felt a rush of guilt. Renji had whispered into his ear, 'It's for Rukia,' before Ichigo's body had been invaded long slender finger. Right now, Ichigo had trouble believing how _that_ was for her; two men that she had cared about, fucking in her memory.

He inwardly winced at that thought, the thought of 'fucking' another man. But he had done it; he had allowed himself to be talking into something like that. That only doubled the shame he felt.

Ichigo needed to leave. He couldn't stand being here any longer. As he rolled over, he felt a rush of something new: pain.

He scowled into the slowly brightening room. He vaguely remembered hearing that gay people who had too much sex, or sex for the first time, had trouble walking. Well, Ichigo was thinking that he'd be lucky to experience walking at this stage, as he was feeling enough shooting pain in his arse from just lying there.

He glanced over at Renji. He'd make him suffer for what he had done to him.

* * *

Sooo... yeah..  
I was going to get into the nitty gritty of it all, but I was never happy with what I wrote. If I wrote a little bit, then left it long enough, and came back and read it later, it was okay. But that was taking too much time. And I was getting sick of this thing just hanging around my head and being annoying. So I just chopped the end off, and quickly ended it. It's kind of like when an annoying house guest comes to stay, and you get tired of them real fast, and quickly usher them from your house. That's what I've done with the ending; just being quick to get rid of it.

Sorry if I disappointed anyone with the ending. But I disappoint myself.  
I've still got what I was writing, so maybe I'll put it up one day, when I'm finally happy with it.

I just want to mention the title, as well. I was listening to the new Lamb of God CD, and the into track is entitled The Passing. I figured it could be like the passing of Rukia, or the passing of Ichigo and Renji's past problems with each other. Or something like that. Shh, I'm tired, I was woken up real early by my sister and her friends getting ready for a music festival (I swear, it was like they were playing football in the next room or something). There's something in there to do with Ichigo and Renji. I'll get back to you on that one.

Oh, and that line about gay sex not counting? That's not me saying that. That's more me making fun of my friend.  
See, he tried claiming that he was still a virgin, even though we knew he was having sex with his boyfriend.  
He probably really did think that, though, who knows. He's not the brightest crayon in the box (If you think Jack from Will & Grace, you'd have a pretty good idea of what he's like).

And that's that. I don't really care if no one reviews or anything. Like, it's pretty much all over and done with now, except for maybe if I put the real lemony one up.  
But, you know, that doesn't mean you can't review or anything like that...


End file.
